Tehran WWC: Bittersweet beginnings

by Elshan Moradiabadi

2/12/2017 – The first round of the Women's World Championship 2017 was off to a controversial start in Iran. For a handful of higher rated players, it was a frustrating opening round as they were held to draws. Some even lost. Check out GM Elshan Moradiabadi's illustrated report with analysis and more.

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Everyone uses ChessBase, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase 14 and enjoy your chess even more.

Tehran WWC: Bittersweet beginnings

by Elshan Moradiabadi

As is usual in tournaments of such a format, we saw a lot of nerve-wracking moments, upsets, and surprises. However, the remarkable fact is the almost equal percentage of draws’ compared to decisive games. Given the bimodal distribution of players ratings in this event, one might expect a high number of decisive results in the first round. However, it is quite interesting to see that apart from a few top board players who outclassed their much lower rated opponents we saw tense battles on every other board.

Round one of the first stage of the nerve-wrecking FIDE Knockout Women’s World Championship ended around midday in Texas (February 11) where I am based. Here is my recap of the games with a number of observations, pictures, and commentaries.

From today onward, we will be able to bring you more visual content because two of the chess world’s greatest chess photographers — David Llada and Anastasia Karlovich — have joined the Iranian press to provide us with better insight of the tournament hall and actions.

Speaking of the tournament hall…

The President of the Association of Chess Professionals (ACP) lashed out online against the poor state of affairs in the playing hall! Read more.

Everything seems to be ready for round 1.

The games began with a minute’s silence to respect the memory of IM Cristina Foisor. [Photo: Reza Mahdipour]

Women are always fashionable whether in hijab or without it! Here we see IM Elisabeth Paehtz who is dressed like a typical Amish girl, maybe inadvertently, meanwhile…

…one of the veterans and ex-finalist of world championships, Ekaterina Kovalevskaya from Russia decided, again, probably inadvertently, to dress like Katherine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter.

While most competitors, like Bela Khotenashvili, who has visited Iran in a number of times before, chose the typical modern Tehrani outfit.

The CEO of MCI, a company also known under its brand name Hamrahe Aval, the first and largest mobile operator in Iran, made the opening move. [Photo: Reza Mahdipour]

But it was not official until the chief arbiter Anastasia Sorokina started the clock running on board one. [Photo: Reza Mahdipour]

Today was not a bad day for the host but the bad news for Iranian fans was the surprising loss of Sara Khademalsharieh. The local superstar, probably due to the pressure of playing at home and having the eyes of fans and press on her, did not manage to handle the stress and lost her game without much of a fight. Luckily for her, she has white pieces tomorrow which gives her the good chances to fight back and equalizes the match. [Photo: David Llada]

For instance, in an interview after the opening, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Masoud Soltanifar, said to the press that he thinks Sara can become a world champion. Such words and attention, although not intentional, might have put a lot of pressure on the Iranian superstar. She received a bitter lesson at the hands of…

However, it seems that Sara is not disheartened and ready for a good fight. Here is what she communicated with her fans through Instagram.

Nevertheless, Iranians didn’t end the day empty-handed — WGM Mitra Hejazipour, who qualified by winning the 2015 Asian Championship, pulled out a miraculous victory in a ‘soon-to-be-worse’ endgame against IM Bodnaruk from Russia

Mitra was Caissa’s choice for round one. Let us see if she can make the best out of it! [Photo: David Llada]

If these two games were a bit of a surprise, GM Nana Dzagnidze’s loss with the white pieces to WGM Mona Khaled from Egypt was the biggest upset of the day! My research may be inept but it seems that Mona Khaled's victory in this game is the first victory by any African player in the modern form of Women’s World Championships! Go Figure. [Photo: Reza Mahdipour]

Results from Round 01:

Elshan MoradiabadiElshan Moradiabadi is a GM born and raised in Tehran, Iran. He moved to the US in 2012. Ever since, he has been active in US college chess scenes and in US chess. is a veteran instructor and teaches chess to every level, with students ranging from beginners to IM. He can be contacted for projects or teaching.

See also

3/1/2017 – In the second game of the four-game finals for the Women's World Championship 2017, Tan Zhongyi managed to put immense pressure on birthday-girl Anna Muzychuk with the white pieces. She played a technical game, perfectly suiting her style, and won thanks to the bad knight in her opponent's position. Illustrated report with GM analysis by Elshan Moradiabadi.

See also

2/23/2017 – There was only one tiebreak game. It was Harika all the way. The Indian poster girl stayed true to her style and won the first 25-minute tiebreaker with the white pieces and drew the next game to reach the semi-finals of the Women's World Championship 2017. She is in with the chance to become the first women's world champion ever from India. Illustrated report.

Video

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Discuss

Such is the present state of chess. When WCC contestants are obliged to compete in the controlled kennels of superior dogs that treat all of their own girls and wives like nothing more than suppressed bitches. It is outrageous. Why was a low respecting human values country like Iran even considered for such a special and elite, multi-national tournament? Guess it must all be about money? Shame on those that picked it. This act is almost sympathising and most certainly permitting accommodation of their ways.

James L Hankins 2/12/2017 12:57

Looking at this pictorial report, doesn't it make Chessbase a little bit uncomfortable viewing photo after photo of professional, adult women being forced to wear a costume that they may or may not wish to wear? The entire thing is unsettling and overshadows the chess content.

I agree with those that posted comments criticizing the Sponsors for allowing Iran to host this chess event. There is reason to believe that Iran is the number one State sponsor of worldwide terrorism.

fons 2/12/2017 03:32

@ Lachesis
>> "There is reason to believe that Iran is the number one State sponsor of worldwide terrorism."

Totally agree with above statements!It's sickening to see a WCC contest being held in a country where women are worth nothing more than a dog. The chess world needs to mark against countries like Iran. By accepting to have the event there, they also accept the country itself.

PatrickP 2/12/2017 06:26

Maybe by now we should focus on the games and what is happening there? The people making this report cannot change anything about that situation... Good article with very good photographs!

sxb103 2/12/2017 06:49

Just now
@fons, Sorry Lachesis is right. Iran is the biggest state sponsor of terrorism. The State Department says so (Obama administration). I think they're more believable than the Mullahs, Hezbollah or Hamas http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/politics/state-department-report-terrorism/

edelgado 2/12/2017 08:52

beautiful photography!!

offpister 2/12/2017 09:25

Why are people complaining about the oppressive conditions in Iran, when we have Emil Sutokovsky to make sure that....the air conditioner is working. The flimsy joke about Ekaterina Kovaleskaya dressing like Katherine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter and the comment that most competitors chose "the typical modern Tehrani outfit" does not mitigate the disgrace in holding such a tournament in Iran. Nor does fixing the air conditioner under the guise that FIDE must respect chessplayers.

Aighearach 2/12/2017 09:28

@PatrickP well, that is something obvious to consider when choosing the tournament location! If you want people to talk about the games, you have to hold the tournament in one of the many places in the world that respect the rights of the participants! If you hold it in Iran, holding it in Iran will forever be the story.

Or at least, it will be the story until the event concludes and the story becomes, the new "Champion" never defeated the much stronger real Champion, and FIDE had to hold the event in a place like Iran in order to make sure they got a new champion...

fgkdjlkag 2/12/2017 10:06

@sxb103, fons stated that it was American propaganda, and you are using an American source to disprove it? That logic does not follow...

racesyn 2/12/2017 11:12

Abhorent! If all Germans, British, Norwegians or Russians, men and women, were required to wear clothing signifying that they were nothing more than chattel I think the outrage would be quite different. How about having Magnus wear a hajib?! Ridiculous.

FIORI 2/13/2017 01:41

Many people here are mixing up things.

FIORI 2/13/2017 01:59

Iran's chess organizaers are not Iran's terrorists, they have nothing to do with each other. It is necessary to separate things.
And considering all Iranian people terrorists is the same of what Americans did in the "Witches os Salem" episode in the late 18th century, in an completely insane act. As for the hijab, all we have to do is to consider wearing it a cultural matter. Iran is not ready as yet to complete occidentalization of their habits, so, it is up to us to be tolerant with their traditions and not to take them as impositions.

CMPonCB 2/13/2017 04:05

Nice costume party, if you like that sort of thing, but I'm finding it hard to take the chess seriously. Thanks to the FIDE President and his questionable motives, what should have been a flagship event has become little more than a comedy caption writing exercise. If Chessbase cares about chess, then they and the rest of the chess press should impose a photo blackout on all further reports. And I say that with a heavy heart, as David Llada's pictures are always a joy to behold.

grandmastermac 2/13/2017 04:24

I have just spent a month visiting Iran, embracing it's culture and understanding the country and it's people better. From the comments here it is quite plain that Iran is not well understood. I can confidently say from my experience that the view espoused on this post that somehow woman are mistreated in Iran is unequivocally wrong. In my experience from being in Iran, woman are treated with a great deal of respect by men. In fact, men value woman in Iran far more than Western countries! I didn't hear once of a man talking of a woman in a sexual way. Shame on you Mr. Trump!

Re the comment about Iran being a state sponsor of worldwide terrorism, I really don't know enough of the state - I suspect very few do. But what I can say is that I never felt safer. In fact, I felt safer in Iran than in any other country I have visited and that incudes Western countries.

And finally in regards to wearing a scarf, this is a requirement that came into force some 30 years prior as part of the revolution which brought with it the indoctrination of Islam. It is clear from the comments that somehow it is interpreted that the head-scarf is somehow representative of persecution of women. Nothing could be further from the truth. The people of Iran regardless of gender having clothing requirements - men and woman. The requirements are generally supported by the population - both genders. If I walk outdoors in my shorts, I will be told soon enough by a member of the public to cover up. It is their culture based on the beliefs of Islam.

In saying this, most locals I spoke with would have preferred the revolution never happened. They want freedom to choose their own religion. My impression was the younger females would like it if they didn't have the requirement to wear a scarf.

The good news is the rules in Iran are slowly being relaxed. Over time, I think you will find the state will become less and less controlling of it's citizens. But to have total freedom would likely require another revolution and that is not a welcome thing for anybody as it will put the economy backwards another 30 years.

So my advice, is don't believe everything you hear on TV and definitely don't believe American politicians and propaganda.
I have never felt more welcome in any country than I was in Iran. If you want to make judgements, fine but I challenge you to go there and experience their culture first. Get educated and informed. Understand it's people. Then comment from your own experience.

chessdrummer 2/13/2017 04:26

Sorry... the comments here are totally off base. FIDE's executive body did not make the decision to have it in Iran. At the General Assembly in Baku, Azerbaijan, 159 members of FIDE voted to have the tournament in Iran. Not a single objection... 159-0. Don't blame Iran, their national culture or political system. They followed the process and their proposal was accepted by the body. Either blame each member nation for not objecting, or move on to the next issue.

Balthus 2/13/2017 09:47

@fons, that remark was just moronic. (Do you even reread what you write?) Also, "reason to believe" is not a factual statement, unlike your sweeping and unfounded retort. Statements like that go a long way to discredit your opinion in other issues as well (e.g. Hou Yifan in Gibraltar).

offpister 2/13/2017 10:09

@grandmastermac I suggest you try walking down the street in Iran dressed as a woman without a Hajib and see how "safe" you feel. Only recently did Iran give up (cut back) on stoning women to death. There is no question that Iranian culture is rich and deep, and that many (most) in Iran (Tehran, that is) lament the religious fantacis that have taken over their country. It is a sad degradation of one of the greatest cultures on the planet. But the facts are very clear regarding Iran's state's sponsored terrorism. This is not American propoganda or anything of the sort. Suggesting you have never felt safer than in Iran does not respond to the justified criticism of holding the WCC in Iran. You were a tourist and as such you saw what you wanted to see. Pointing to Donald Trump's misogyny is hardly a meritorious point as his election provoked one of the largest demonstrations and protests by women and men in US history. This alone is a testament to the rights of a free and open society.

fons 2/13/2017 12:41

@ Balthus

I also used to believe everything that came out of the US, well, mostly. Long time ago. Until I started reading some independent journalism. The amount of propaganda -and yes fake news- coming out of the US and most of the mainstream media (including outlets like the Guardian that once upon a time still had some credibility) is much much worse than you can imagine. So I can understand why you would believe that.

I'm not going to defend Iran, there are certainly questionable things there. And I am also against forcing people to wear religious headgear. And I also don't think Iran was the best place to have this tournament.

But calling Iran "number one State sponsor of worldwide terrorism" is categorically wrong. It's just propaganda. And you're going to hear much more of it because it's going to be their main talking point actually as it looks like the US is getting ready for war with Iran.

But of course you're not going to read about stuff like that or about who is really funding ISIS in the New York Times.

Read some independent media. Use a search engine. You're on the internet after all.

hansj 2/13/2017 04:56

chessdrummer, wearing these headscarves is not, as you call it "national culture".
It is a decree by the fanatically religious men rigidly ruling Iran.

hansj 2/13/2017 05:01

And if, headdrummer, if, which is not the case, wearing headscarves (women only) was national culture, why the hell should the men in charge force that national culture on women from other cultures, visiting to play chess???

Exclam 2/13/2017 07:27

In my opinion you should respect the culture of the country you are visiting, regardless as to whether or not you share the same beliefs as them. Other than that your don't have to visit it.

hellzorganist 2/13/2017 10:39

If you want to be upset by hijab-wearing in Teheran, should you not also be commenting on recently legalised wife-beating in Russia? Maybe we could organise a boycott? Oh the hypocrisy.

hellzorganist 2/13/2017 11:05

The UK pays its women workers 9.4% less than their male equivalents. Russian newspapers tell women to be proud of the bruises legally inflicted on them by their husbands. The USA elects as their president a man who brags about sexual assault. Seriously, I don't think the West is in a position to lecture to Iran about women's rights.

chessdrummer 2/14/2017 02:55

hansj,

You should ask why your points were not brought up when they voted 159-0. That's all that is relevant. You also grossly underestimate Iranian women. Debating a country's culture is useless because you apparently don't have the knowledge or historical perspective to objectively comment. Every single country has national laws that visitors are bound to follow... every one of them. Some are gender-neutral and some are gender-specific. Regardless, FIDE members (including delegates from countries who are protesting) selected Iran and the tournament is in progress. If you can't enjoy the coverage because of the head covering, there are plenty other events to follow.

sxb103 2/21/2017 10:36

@fgkdjlkag At least I quoted sources, Fons quoted nothing. I will take a country with a free press any time over a non democratic country like Iran. Note that France and Germany also recognize Hezbollah as a terror group. Iran is the main sponsor of Hezbollah.
"In May 2013, France and Germany released statements that they will join other European countries in calling for a EU-blacklisting of Hezbollah as a terror group.[324]"